| Abstract | We present new VRI fight curves for the long-period LMC Cepheids HV 899 and 2257 and combine these data with the CORAVEL radial velocity curves of Imbert to derive the distances to these variables using the surface brightness method. Assuming metallicities of [Fe/H] = ( -0.4 +/- 0.2) for both supergiants, we find metallicity-corrected distances of (65.2 +/- 4.3) kpc for HV 899 and (65.7 +/- 4.3) kpc for HV2257, which correspond to true distance moduli of (19.07 +/- 0.15) and (19.09 +/- 0.15) mag, respectively. These distance moduli are about 0.4 mag larger than those predicted for the LMC by the galactic Cepheid calibration of the surface brightness method of Gieren, Barnes & Moffett [which predicts mu_0_(LMC)~18.65 mag]. While very low metallicities for the Cepheids ([Fe/H] <~ -1.0) might explain this discrepancy, the present results provide evidence of a large distance modulus for the LMC of near 19.0. |
